Chapter 78 - Into The Forest
The day went by fast, Bai Rouyun entered a cultivation stage and did not leave it before the following morning when they arrived at their destination.
Here, the youths all disembarked from their carriages and looked at the looming forest in front of them.
A tall wall was surrounding it, and only a single entrance could be seen. This entrance was guarded by a team of royal guards, and their stalwart appearances made many admire them.
The officials and the nobles had followed the group to the forest; they wanted to see their children enter the forest, as they were aware that this might be the last time they saw them.
Even if they could survive the beasts, the other humans also posed a significant threat to many of them.
Many of the youths could feel the adrenaline coursing through their bloodstream, their hands were trembling, and their bodies were on high alert.
While many of them were full of excitement as they were looking at the entrance to the forest with longing eyes, Bai Rouyun was leaning against her carriage, observing everything and everyone with narrowed eyes.
The Emperor clapped his hands, and even though everyone was overly excited, they all got quiet in a moment, looking at him expectantly.
"I got to warn you all before entering the forest," the Emperor began. "Although it is not allowed to kill one another, the beasts will put up a great struggle. While many of you have been trained since young, you have no actual life and death battle experience, so I would suggest that you group up. Deaths will happen, but we can try and make them as few as possible."
The image that the Emperor gave was that of a benevolent ruler, he also truly did not want too many to die in the forest.
These youths were all sons and daughters of prominent officials, nobles, ministers, and generals. For each one that died, he would have an unhappy subject, and he would not be able to handle the aftermath of losing many youths.
The only one he hoped would die was Bai Rouyun. If she died in the Royal Hunting Feast, he could push all the blame onto the beasts, and Li Moyun would be unable to prove that it was a lie.
If her body was left in the forest, then it would be eventually eaten by the time he returned from the frontlines, and he would be none the wiser.
The Emperor looked at Bai Rouyun, but upon seeing the enigmatic smile on her lips, and her half-closed eyes, he felt a shiver run down his spine. She did not seem innocent and naive any longer; instead, she gave him the feeling of a leopard ready to pounce.
She was like an unsheathed sword, sharp and dangerous. A bad omen appeared in the Emperor's heart, and he had looked at his favorite son, the Crown Prince, and his beloved daughter, Princess Xing.
He was worried that something might happen to them, but upon closer inspection, he found that Bai Rouyun's cultivation base was rather low, and was not even able to rival Princess Xing, so he calmed down.
She was but a dumb woman for ten years; even if she had cultivated, she would have no time to learn martial art techniques and methods, so if it really came to a fight, she would have no chance against his genius children.
After convincing himself that Bai Rouyun was harmless, the Emperor finally waved his hand, and the gates to the forest were opened.
"The Royal Hunting Feast begins!" the Emperor called out, and the youths ran towards the gates. They pushed and pulled, trying their best to be the first to enter, but Bai Rouyun just glanced at them all.
They were too impatient. The loud sounds and the sheer numbers of experts were enough to make every beast flee away from the entrance of the forest. Even if they were to be the first to enter, they would still not necessarily be the first to find a beast.
The people flooded into the forest and spread in all directions. Some listened to the Emperor and gathered in small groups, while others had faith in themselves and ventured into the dark forest on their own.
Bai Rouyun did not move before everyone else had entered into the forest. She threw a gaze at Mo Chu in an attempt at reminding him to be serious about finding out who exactly were the real culprits behind the poisoning incident.
Mo Chu nodded his head. He knew that he could not enter the forest with her, and he needed to figure out the truth, so his eyes were alight with solemnity.
Feeling reassured, Bai Rouyun entered the forest, and she looked around at the ground. She was trying to see in which directions most people had gone, and picked the path which the least experts had taken.
Bai Rouyun saw no people as she was slowly walking further and further into the forest, but she had a full month. She kept moving in the direction with the least experts. It was easy to see where they had gone, so she soon found a small trail that no one had followed before, and her speed increased.
She flashed through the forest like a shadow; her movements were so swift and experienced that she did not make any sound, not even the sound of her stepping on some branches could be heard.
She was agile and beautiful as she continued flashing, going deeper and deeper into the depths of the forest. She was soon swallowed by the darkness, as no light could shine through the dense crowns of the trees.